Excalidraw
Virtual whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn like diagrams.
135k GitHub stars · MIT · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Open-source and self-hosted alternatives to Figma
Penpot is the only full open-source design and prototyping tool in the Figma mold. Excalidraw and draw.io fit quick wireframes and diagrams rather than polished UI design.
Category: Design & graphics · GitHub data as of Oct 29, 2026 · FAQ · Cost & self-hosting
Figma price change: Figma raised the price of its Full seat and moved plans to new Full, Dev, Collab and View seats. Admins now approve seat upgrades up front. (effective Mar 11, 2025, details and sources)
| Project | What it is | License | GitHub stars | Last release | Runs as | Hosted plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excalidraw Active MIT | Virtual whiteboard for sketching hand-drawn like diagrams. | MIT | 135k | Apr 21, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Yes, from the project |
| Penpot Active MPL-2.0 | Penpot: The open-source design platform for Product teams that need scalable collaboration. | MPL-2.0 | 61.8k | Oct 29, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Yes, from the project |
| draw.io Active Apache-2.0 | Draw.io is a JavaScript, client-side editor for general diagramming. | Apache-2.0 | 9.1k | Oct 23, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Yes, from the project |
Are they still maintained?
3 of 3 Figma alternatives here had a code push or release in the last 180 days (checked Oct 29, 2026).
- Excalidraw: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
- Penpot: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
- draw.io: active, last activity Oct 23, 2026 (6 days ago)
See every project in the "Is it still maintained?" tracker →
What switching from Figma costs
Figma: current plans and prices are on Figma's pricing page. Its most recent price change we track took effect on Mar 11, 2025 (see the price tracker).
| Alternative | How you run it | Software cost | What you pay for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excalidraw | Your server, or the project's hosted plan | $0 (MIT) | A server you rent (or own), or the project's paid hosted plan. |
| Penpot | Your server, or the project's hosted plan | $0 (MPL-2.0) | A server you rent (or own), or the project's paid hosted plan. |
| draw.io | Your server, or the project's hosted plan | $0 (Apache-2.0) | A server you rent (or own), or the project's paid hosted plan. |
Self-hosting basics: Excalidraw, Penpot and draw.io need a server, which can be a small cloud server or a spare machine at home. For a sense of scale, DigitalOcean's price list shows a 1 GiB server at $6/month and 2 GiB at $12/month (checked Oct 29, 2026). Check each project's documented requirements before choosing a size, and budget time for updates and backups.
Don't want to run a server? Excalidraw, Penpot and draw.io offer a hosted plan run by the project itself. Prices change, so check each project's site.
The options in more detail
Penpot
Penpot: The open-source design platform for Product teams that need scalable collaboration.
61.8k GitHub stars · MPL-2.0 · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
draw.io
Draw.io is a JavaScript, client-side editor for general diagramming.
9.1k GitHub stars · Apache-2.0 · last code push Oct 23, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Figma alternatives: common questions
What is the best open-source alternative to Figma?
It depends on how you use Figma. Of the 3 options here, Excalidraw is the most followed on GitHub (135k stars) and is actively maintained, with its latest release on Apr 21, 2026.
Is there a self-hosted Figma alternative?
Yes. Excalidraw, Penpot and draw.io run on a server you control, so your data stays with you. If you'd rather not run a server, Excalidraw, Penpot and draw.io also offer a hosted plan from the people who make them.
Is there a free alternative to Figma?
Yes. Every project on this page can be downloaded and used at no cost from its public repository. Server apps are free software, but you pay for the server they run on.
Are these Figma alternatives still maintained?
As of Oct 29, 2026, 3 of 3 had a code push or release in the last 180 days. None are flagged as inactive or archived. We re-check every project weekly.
How much does it cost to switch from Figma?
The software itself is free. For server apps, the main cost is hosting: as a reference point, DigitalOcean lists a 1 GiB server at $6/month and a 2 GiB server at $12/month (checked Oct 29, 2026). Check each project's documented requirements before choosing a size. The hidden cost is time: moving your data and, for self-hosted apps, keeping up with updates and backups.
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